The World Cup has seen a feast of football in the Gulf, with 32 of the top international teams playing 64 games before the golden trophy is finally lifted at the Lusail Stadium on December 18.
But international football made its debut in the UAE over 60 years earlier, when England — or at least the crew of a Royal Navy frigate — took on a scratch side from Abu Dhabi that included three sheikhs.
The pitch for the friendly match was an area of hard sand used for holiday celebrations next to Qasr Al Hosn, and, although the exact score is not recorded, the Abu Dhabi team emerged clear winners.
The above photo shows the half time break during the game, in February 1955, with both sides mingling and the sailors in their uniforms, which included navy caps.
It was taken by Susan Hillyard, whose husband Tim was part of the Abu Dhabi team and in charge of Abu Dhabi Marine Area’s off-shore oil exploration effort at the time.
Mr Hillyard, who had played football at Oxford University, joined two Pakistani brothers who were looking for work as cooks, along with three young sheikhs, who brought several tribesman to make up the numbers for Abu Dhabi.
The sheikhs, Mrs Hillyard recorded in her book Before the Oil, had seen football played at the Royal Air Force base in Sharjah and explained the rules to the others.
A pre-match meal was held on HMS Owen. Mrs Hillyard wrote: “Whether by luck, the lunch, or the barefoot agility … of the locals, the Abu Dhabians beat the heavily booted ‘Owens’ soundly.”
The match did have a more serious purpose.
HMS Owen had been converted to a survey ship after the Second World War, and was in the region to map the Arabian Gulf in 1955.
Among the crew was a doctor, and the arrival of the ship on a courtesy visit to Abu Dhabi was a chance for him to examine and diagnose medical problems in the town, which had no health facilities at the time.
To bring people together, an impromptu sports day was arranged, with the football match just one highlight.
A target shooting contest with rifles was followed by archery, with Sheikh Zayed, who was visiting from Al Ain, hitting the bullseye with his arrow at the second attempt.
Other activities included long jump and a tug of war between six sailors and 12 local men. Mrs Hillyard said it soon turned into a contest between most of Abu Dhabi and the entire ship’s company.
“When there was no more room on the rope, the contestants hung on to each other’s waists until all collapsed laughing on the ground,” she wrote.
“The women stood in the background enjoying it all.”
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Liz%20Truss
%3Cp%3EMinisterial%20experience%3A%20Current%20Foreign%20Secretary.%0D%3Cbr%3E%0DWhat%20did%20she%20do%20before%20politics%3F%20Worked%20as%20an%20economist%20for%20Shell%20and%20Cable%20and%20Wireless%20and%20was%20then%20a%20deputy%20director%20for%20right-of-centre%20think%20tank%20Reform.%0D%3Cbr%3E%0DWhat%20does%20she%20say%20on%20tax%3F%20She%20has%20pledged%20to%20%22start%20cutting%20taxes%20from%20day%20one%22%2C%20reversing%20April's%20rise%20in%20National%20Insurance%20and%20promising%20to%20keep%20%22corporation%20tax%20competitive%22.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tentative schedule of 2017/18 Ashes series
1st Test November 23-27, The Gabba, Brisbane
2nd Test December 2-6, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
3rd Test Dcember 14-18, Waca, Perth
4th Test December 26-30, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
5th Test January 4-8, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Checks continue
A High Court judge issued an interim order on Friday suspending a decision by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to direct a stop to Brexit agri-food checks at Northern Ireland ports.
Mr Justice Colton said he was making the temporary direction until a judicial review of the minister's unilateral action this week to order a halt to port checks that are required under the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Civil servants have yet to implement the instruction, pending legal clarity on their obligations, and checks are continuing.
UAE and Russia in numbers
UAE-Russia ties stretch back 48 years
Trade between the UAE and Russia reached Dh12.5 bn in 2018
More than 3,000 Russian companies are registered in the UAE
Around 40,000 Russians live in the UAE
The number of Russian tourists travelling to the UAE will increase to 12 percent to reach 1.6 million in 2023
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Read more about the coronavirus
Key features of new policy
Pupils to learn coding and other vocational skills from Grade 6
Exams to test critical thinking and application of knowledge
A new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance, Assessment, Review and Analysis for Holistic Development) will form the standard for schools
Schools to implement online system to encouraging transparency and accountability
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
